Kavalan Sherry Oak Single Malt

Oh what a dissapointment. The nose on this dram was magnificent. I thought, ¿will this be another 100 points? But the palate and the aftertaste couldn't live to the aroma. Taiwanese Whisky, sherry oak, my third Kavalan, still not impressed. (I have had the not THAT expensive stuff). Bottled at 46%abv, beautiful mahogany color. On the nose it was perfect. Amazingly complex and super sweet. Strawberries, Red fruits, very winey. Sherried sweet, Toffee, Impalpable sugar, a lovely maraschino cherry juice and a little note of wood polisher. But then... the palate. It felt too young. Sherry, Almomds, Burnt oak, Nutty flavors , Brown sugar. Aftertaste was very short. Also a lot of burning sensations. Not good. Clove spice, some young unmatured oakiness. Maybe liquorice. A little unpleasant. It just needs to mature a little more. Overall i give this dram a 72 over 100, the nose gave the most points on this one. I might just use my oak barrel to age it a little longer; lets see how that goes.

Nose - Dark cherries dominate, dried currants, bright red dried berries, sweet toasted hazelnuts, hint of toasted coconut, cherry cough syrup at the back end. Taste - Intense sweet cherry infused dessert wine and white peppercorn spice, lightly dry yet creamy like what coconut milk can do to your mouth. Finish - Long lingering sweet cherry infused dessert wine with lingering white peppercorn spicy tingle. Score - 84/100 Final Thoughts - Sherry bomb anyone? The sherry cask finish dominates this a bit too much and hides all of the floral and tropical fruit notes I get from their other offerings. It's fairly one dimensional in that it could almost be a heavily fortified sherry versus a sherry finished whisky. That being said, what is there is still pretty tasty but is something that I'd most likely have to really be in the mood for. I'd say this might pair very well with a dark chocolate dessert.

This is a winner, really interesting and adds something original to a familiar flavour profile. A speyside but not. The sherry content is front and centre. Dried, jammy fruit. Nuts. Pepper. Marzipan and vanilla. The 46% abv is worn lightly, a very acceptable burn that carries the flavours and leads to persistence. She love you long time. The climate advantage is used to deliver a powerful but relatively subtle dram at speed. The flavours are strong and distinct. Not a shy drop, it comes at you fast and announces itself loudly. I love the eagerness of this whiskey. I enjoyed the in yer face of it. OK, it's not Farclas. This leans towards being a loud, distant relative that is a tiny bit gauche but loveable.

Really great whiskey if you find yourself in the mood for sherry influence, or even a general sweetness. It’s exceptionally smooth for a presumably very young whiskey, and has an amazingly dark mahogany color. Almost tastes like a fortified wine on its own, given the degree of sherry influence. Really strong aroma is immediately present upon opening the bottle. Obviously the sherry influence gives a lot of flavors of dried cherries, dried cranberries, raisins, and other dried fruit flavors, alongside some hints of nuttiness, spices, and vanilla. Really rich flavor, definitely a go-to for sherry casks.

Kavalan sherry oak is definitely my favourite Kavalan so far, and rates high generally! Inviting dark honey colour. Lovely and fruity(dark), with a hum of the oak and it's vanilla tones in support. There's also that sweet baking aroma, similar to scones baking (probably a specific aroma, but I can't put my finger on it). Beautifully oily on the palate and a wonderful warming, dark fruit-filled finish. Is it worth the £85 price tag? Yes, I reckon it is, it's definitely 'special occasion whiskey' (or a sneaky one to yourself in front of the fire on a winter night!). Bravo Kavalan, BRAVO! 👍🤤🥃

I was really hoping for something like an old sherry Macallan...not sure why I even had his expectation. Maybe because I thought the tropical climate might make it age quicker and smooth out the rough edges. Like an Amrut. But this is no Amrut, and not even close to an old sherry Macallan. The nose is quite nice---raisins and dried fruit. The taste isn't bad either...quite floral and fruity. But what kills it is the finish. You can tell it's young and quite not ready for prime time. Not sure why the Amruts are smoother...maybe the Bangalore climate ? Or quality of casks?